There's a Monster Haunting Me (But I Know You'll Protect Me From It)
by Aerotes
Summary: Beth's pregnant and Daryl's scared of the father he might become. [A part of the 'You & I (We'll Face The World Together)' verse]


Beth is crying, and Daryl is confused as fuck. He doesn't know what set her off, but these days it's no surprise when she starts to cry. It's just hormones, but it doesn't mean it's not confusing.

At the moment, she's standing in the middle of the kitchen, sobbing into Daryl's shirt, and despite his confusion, he holds her, sways the slightest bit and hushes her.

When her tears finally stop, he presses a kiss to the top of her head, and laces their fingers together. He smiles at her, but doesn't ask why she was crying. The last time he did, it had been enough to set her off again.

"I'm sorry. I'm such a wreck right now." She says, laughing at little at herself. She rubs at her eyes, and she shakes his head.

"It's okay." He soothes. "I'm your husband. It's my job." He reminds her.

"How long has it been now?" She asks with a knowing smile.

"One year, two months and six days." He tells her, presses a kiss to her lips.

Beth's six months pregnant and she's beautiful, radiating with happiness and perfection, and he loves her, he loves her, he loves her, and he tells her every day.

"You need to get going." She tells him, glancing towards the microwave. "I made you late. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He tells her, because he doesn't mind. He doesn't think he needs therapy anymore, but it's at Beth's insistence that he goes.

_"So, Daryl," Preston says. It feels weird to call his shrink by his first name, but the man had been insistent. "How do you feel about becoming a father?" _

_"I'm terrified." Daryl admits, and he's still unused to being so open and honest. It still scares him, but he's getting better. _

_"Tell me why." Preston says, and Daryl hesitates._

_"I don't want to turn out to be like he was."_

Beth wakes him up at three am, and it's enough to make him panic. "What's wrong? Is it the baby?" He asks, sitting up in bed and turning on the bedside light, but Beth doesn't look scared. In fact, she looks sheepish.

"I want grapes." She tells him, and then adds "and peanut butter." He sighs and rubs at his eyes. He yawns and stretches, and gets out of bed. He slips into a somewhat clean pair of jeans and fishes out a t-shirt. "I'll be back soon." He tells her, grabbing his wallet.

It takes him almost half an hour to find a supermarket that's open at this time, and spends ten minutes just looking for peanut butter, and another five trying to find grapes. The woman at the checkout smiles at him. "Pregnant wife, 'eh?" She asks.

Daryl nods tiredly but gives her a proud smile. "Congratulations," and Daryl thanks her, pays for the peanut butter and grapes and makes his way home. He walks through the door at four fifteen, and he sighs when he realises that Beth won't still be awake, and puts away the food.

Beth never eats the food anyway, but Daryl doesn't really mind.

_"Why are you scared to turn into your father?" Preston's voice is calm, but slightly hesitant. The last time he had asked about Will Dixon, it had been enough to set Daryl off, and he'd gone missing for a week. _

_Daryl doesn't look angry this time, just conflicted. He scrubs at his face with his hands. "He…" He swallows, and his breathing it getting faster, and Daryl knows he'll end up sending himself into a panic attack, but he can't calm himself down._

_"Take your time Daryl." _

_Daryl takes a shaky breath, and composes himself. "He used ta hurt us, me and Merle. I don't wanna turn into him." _

_"Why do you think you'll turn into him?" _

_"The apple never falls far from the tree, right?" _

"Now, son." Hershel says when Daryl meets him for their weekly coffee. "Being a father is one of the things you'll be most proud of, but it ain't easy."

"I know." Daryl tells him. "M'worried."

"I don't think you have reason to be. I think you'll be a great father."

"Ya can't know that."

"But I'm sure of it."

"How is baby Merle goin'?" Is the first thing Daryl's brother asks when he walks into their house without an invitation.

"For the last time Merle, we ain't naming a baby after you." Daryl tells him, and Beth nudges his shoulder with a laugh.

"Aw, Daryl, why not?" She asks, "I mean, it's the perfect girls name."

"Excuse me, little lady." Merle says, looking somewhat insulted, but he takes the insult in good humour. "Merle ain't no girls name. If ya want a girl's name, then try Darleana."

Daryl rolls her eyes and bumps shoulders with Beth. "Ya not supposed to laugh." He informed her. "I'm ya husband, you're supposed ta stand up for me."

"I think you'll be okay." Beth tells him and presses a kiss to his jaw before slowly standing from the couch. She doesn't say anything, but he knows what she's doing and he appreciates it.

"Ya shrink called me." Merle says, straight to the point. "Ya ain't him, lil' brother."

"M'scared, Merle." He says, and Merle doesn't laugh at him, just moves to sit next to him and nudges his shoulder.

"Y'all be okay lil' bro. Ya gonna be a great dad, and if you ain't good ol' Merle will teach ya a lesson or two."

It means a lot to Daryl.

_"Tell me what your father did to you." Preston says, and watches his patient fall apart in front of him._

_"I can't." Daryl says in a broken tone, shaking his head._

_"Yes, you can." _

_Daryl doesn't even give him an answer. He just stands and leaves._

"Merle, oh god, please tell me Daryl's with you." Is the first thing Beth says when Merle answers the phone.

"M'sorry lil' lady. He ain't here."

Beth swears, and then sobs a little bit, and Merle sighs. _Lil' brother, _he thinks, _you better get ya ass home soon. _

He spends that night at Beth and Daryl's, comforting his brother's wife.

Daryl was only gone for the night, and spent the entire time thinking. He walks through the door at six am, quietly closing the door. He's been home ten seconds before he's slapped by a crying blonde, and only a second later, the said blonde cries into his shirt. He comforts her, and sees Merle standing in the doorway separating the kitchen and entry, and sends him a smile of thanks.

"You'll be okay, you know?" Beth tells him. "You'll be a great dad, and you'll protect them from whoever dares to hurt them. You're not him."

She kisses him softly, and takes his hand, and not for the first time, he's reminded of how much he loves her, and how much he needs her.

Beth's eight months pregnant when Daryl feels like he's finally got his shit together. He's excited, and spends every night with his hand on top of Beth's pregnant belly, and just feels his child move.

"M'not gonna be like him." He whispers to her.

"I know." She whispers back.

Beth is eight months, three weeks and four days when she goes into labour, and Daryl is terrified and excited at the same time. After several gruelling hours that feels like days (he can only imagine how long it feels to Beth), they're rewarded with a beautiful baby girl. She has blue eyes, and she's the most stunning thing Daryl's seen in his life, and when he has one arm wrapped around Beth and another helping his wife support the baby, he cries, honest and happy tears, and he knows that he'll be a damn good father.

They name her Stephanie Jane Dixon, and she becomes tied for first place as the most important thing in his life.


End file.
